The discovery highlights the ongoing frustration faced by many Egyptologists, who have to dig through the unorganized caches that exist in the museum’s underbelly.
The Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) is moving forward on attempting to reorganize the museum, ahead of a planned move to a new, massive structure near the pyramids, and the d iscovery is part of the ongoing process to uncover the artifacts hidden in the basement of Egypt’s largest museum.
SCA Secretary General Zahi Hawass said the unearthed cache includes nine artifacts, among them an offertory table, the upper part of a limestone stella, stones bearing hieroglyphs and an engraved Ramesside limestone column base, with a cobra found next to it.
Hawass said that two caches had previously been found in the museum’s garden.
Before 1952, archaeologists used to bury artifacts of questionable authenticity there, but only after they had been recorded in the museum’s registry and scientifically published.
“It is commonplace for archaeologists to go down into the basement of the museum, because it is where hundreds of pieces are located,” said a German researcher in Cairo.
“As Egypt continues to call for a return of its artifacts from abroad, this is part of the plan to bolster its ability to care for its history,” the researcher said.
The new museum development project will create a new route for people visiting the museum.
The museum entrance will remain the main gate, but the exit will be at the museum’s western side, where visitors will find a large bookstore, a cafeteria and facilities.
Hawass said the development project would also organise the museum’s basement in order to accommodate lecture halls as well as temporary exhibition and study halls.
Cairo - 24/07/2009
Pana
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